Sometimes, I hear someone put something so perfectly, I get turned on. As a lover of words (my moon is in Gemini) and former slight stutterer, I actually get mad at myself for not coming up with a beautiful phrase when I hear it from the mouth of another poet. Anyone can be a poet. It just means do NOT lie to yourself. Do you want to know WHY Italians are the best dressed? It’s the race and the culture. And while SO many people try to study and copy ” it “, a connoisseur will automatically feel something is wrong. Wrong is not natural. Not natural is a lie….to yourself and to your community. One great phrase by a Neapolitan Tailor, one of the many who created what so many don’t even know from who they steal, was that the custom made suits he makes are imperfect on purpose. Not defective but imperfect, like all us humans. He said you NEED to have the imperfection “TO BREAK THE MONOTONY OF PERFECTION” !!!!

I get shivers when I think of that line. He and a few others went on to explain that THAT is why Italians make the best clothing and look the best in them. While the English make very high quality stuff, they, as a race and culture, are SO obsessed with just doing the “right” thing that they just want to follow the “rules”. But they look like mannequins in a window. Stiff, angular shoulders and rigid forms. In a way, you can say that at least the clothing reflects the Brit wearing it !!! But Italians, as the majority creator of all things beautiful, need to express themselves. So the clothes have to adapt to them.

Another great quote from the Great Lino, another Italian (non-Neapolitan, though) is : “I hate it when men try to look perfect. Human beings are never perfect on the inside, so they must never be perfect on the outside. To me, imperfection is never a mistake — it is a sign of humanity. You must break the codes, break the perfection. Never pay attention to rules. It’s funny, but the British spend a lot of time trying to look perfect. So, if a British man’s collar comes out of his jacket, it is a disaster. But with an Italian man, if his collar comes out by accident, it looks great. This has to be natural. There are some men who turn their collar up on purpose, and to me, this is silly, because it is self-conscious. When you tie a necktie, you should never use a mirror. It should be imperfect and unselfconscious. Then, it will be beautiful!”

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